Some Things Never Change
by Writing4ever4God
Summary: AU of Rebel Spirit. When the dark spirit attacks after the GS festival, , Senna comes to Korra's aid after she helps Mako and Bolin. Little does Senna know her daughter is in need of more than just physical healing. Meanwhile, Mako is dealing with some past demons of his own. He ends up finding comfort from someone new who reminds him of someone from he and Bolin's past. R/R
1. Chapter 1

Disc: I DO NOT own any of the characters from LOK. They belong to Brike. I do however own anyone you don't recognize, along with the idea for this story.

Enjoy!

A?N: This story takes place within "Rebel Spirit." I thought Senna should have been more involved in protecting Korra when the spirit attacked.

"Some Things Never Change"

Chapter 1

Senna's cyan eyes opened suddenly as a familiar sound pierced the night. Listening harder, she sat up quickly as it registered in her mind. Naga only made that sound when Korra was in trouble. Jumping from her bed, she made it outside in time to see Korra, Mako and Bolin fighting a dark spirit. Korra was giving it all she had. Unfortunately, to Senna's dismay, the spirit was getting the better of her daughter. As she saw the spirit wrap a tentacle around Korra's waist, Senna formed chards of ice and sent them towards the entity. She kept this up and was satisfied when a few hit their target.

Momentarily surprised when the spirit let her go, Korra wasted no time in attacking it. Shooting a blast of fire towards it, she jumped out of the way just in case her flames missed. Confused to see the spirit turn to the right, Korra glanced back in that direction just in time to see the spirit hone in on a new target.

"Mom!" Korra ran at the spirit in an attempt to save her mother. She shot a flame of fire at it, trying to get it to change direction. As one of her flames went off course, she prayed she hadn't injured a loved one by accident. She was inches away from her mother when she felt two tentacles lift her up. Bending a jet of air at the dark spirit, Korra managed to break free. Spinning on an air scooter, she landed safely on the ground. Rushing to her mother's side, she helped her up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, honey," Senna stood up before frowning at her daughter. "Are you all right?"

Korra nodded.

"Korra!" She heard her father shout in alarm.

"I'm fine!" Korra growled in frustration. She turned back to the dark spirit, determined to show it who was boss once and for all. As she felt herself being thrown back for a third time, she fought against the force.

"Oh, no…you…don't," she gritted out as she thrust a current of air towards the dark spirit. Turning her head to check on her mother and the boys, Korra suddenly felt something push her from behind. She tried to gain momentum using airbending, but she was already picking up speed due to the hill she was currently sliding down. She groaned as she hit a glacier. Standing up despite the pain, Korra heard her mother cry her name from somewhere further behind her. As the spirit came back for another attack, Korra made an attempt at subduing it. She had watched carefully when Unalaq had done it, how hard could it be? She was finding out just how difficult it was as she felt herself being thrown backwards. Unable to slow her fall, she found herself sliding down a much steeper hill at an abnormal speed. As her body made contact with the fair gates, she felt a sharp pain spread throughout her left side. She was soon aware of a familiar voice addressing her from her right side. It was soft and gentle as was the person's touch. She tried to keep her eyes open, but all she succeeded in doing was hissing in pain.

"Mom," she mumbled as the pain increased.

"Shh, Korra, it's okay. I'm gonna help you," her mother soothed.  
"What about…the…the dark spirit?" she asked as she tried to breathe through the pain.  
"Unalaq took care of it," her mother revealed.  
Korra nodded as a whimper escaped her lips. She thanked the spirits that her mother was there. She needed her now more than ever. She had missed her while she had been away in republic city. Although she would have liked their quality time to have been a little more enjoyable rather than her mother healing her from a smack down by an angry spirit. But at this point, she would take what she could get.

"Mom," Korra repeated as she felt pain shoot up her left side.

"Shh, little one, it's okay. I'm here. We need to get you back into the house," with that, Senna started examining Korra to make sure she could lift her without hurting her.

"My...left side…hurts," Korra hissed in pain as she spoke, breaking her mother's heart.

"Okay, sweetheart. I'm gonna try and heal it. Come on," with that, Senna lifted Korra into her arms and carried her back into the house. Laying her down on her bed, she left for a minute. Returning with a bowl of water, Senna placed it on the nightstand. Dipping her hands in it, she started to heal her daughter's injuries.

Korra tried not to show how much she was hurting. Despite her efforts, she had a feeling her mother already knew. As she sucked in a breath of pain, a question came to her mind.

"Where's Dad?" She was still concerned for him, even if she wasn't very happy with him at the moment.

"He's still outside," Senna replied. "He's fine. He's helping those boys of yours get settled and assuring Mako you're gonna be okay."

Korra smiled a little at hearing her mother refer to Mako and Bolin as 'her boys. She really did care about both of them deeply. Her smile turned into a frown as a whimper escaped her lips.

"Shh, I know, little one, I know," her mother ran a hand through her hair and stroked her cheek in an effort to soothe her. "I'm almost done, honey, almost."

"Angry spirits pack a punch," Korra commented.

Senna chose not to respond. As she moved her hands over Korra's left rib, she frowned in concern.

"Honey, does that hurt?"

"Yeah," Korra breathed.

"I'm gonna try to heal it," Senna informed her.

"Try to heal it?" Korra repeated.

"Where the break is positioned is tricky," Senna explained. With that, she started the process. She soothed her daughter as best she could throughout the healing session. "How does that feel?"

"A little better," Korra replied.

"I'm glad. Now you just need rest. You'll be up and around again by tomorrow," her mother kissed her forehead as she ran a hand through Korra's chocolate locks.

"Mom, you're not gonna leave, are you?" Korra asked.

"Not if you don't want me to," Senna said.

"Stay, please," Korra closed her eyes as she tried to ignore the remaining pain. Her eyes opened again as someone entered her room.

"Senna, is Korra all right?"

Korra stiffened at her father's familiar voice.

"She will be if she listens to me and gets rest," Senna replied.

"Is she hurt badly?" Tonraq gazed in concern at their daughter. He walked over to the side of the bed and placed a hand on Korra's right shoulder. "I'm so sorry, princess. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad," Korra said while shrugging his hand away.

"Little one?" Senna raised her eyebrows at their daughter's actions.

"What?" Korra said a little more harshly than she had intended.

"Korra!" Tonraq admonished. He gave her a look she knew only too well. "I know you're not happy with me right now, but that's no excuse to speak to your mother that way. She just helped you."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Korra apologized sincerely. "Can I have something for the pain?"

Senna frowned. She cupped the side of Korra's face in her hand.

Tonraq frowned in dismay when Korra didn't make a move to push her away. His heart sank even more when Korra tried moving closer to her mother.

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain?" Senna asked.

"An…8," Korra frowned as another stab of pain hit her left side.

Senna frowned in concern at her daughter's answer. She knew Korra generally had a high pain tolerance. The fact that she was asking for pain medication worried her. But as she locked eyes with her daughter, she saw just how real the pain was.

"Okay, little one. I'll be right back," with that, Senna kissed Korra's forehead and left the room.

Taking a deep breath, Tonraq tried to start a conversation with Korra. Sitting down on the bed, he made sure he gave the teenager enough space.

"Those boys are really worried about you," he began. He glanced down to see Korra hadn't shown any indication that she was paying attention to him. Knowing she could hear him, he continued to speak. "Especially Mako. I think he would have worn a hole in the living room carpet if I hadn't stopped him. Korra, I know you're angry with me, but I do love you. That's not going to change."

"I know," Korra whispered.

Glancing down, Tonraq was surprised to see tears streaming from beneath Korra's cyan eyes.

"Princess, what's the matter?" he ventured. He was truly concerned for her. He knew she had been through a lot in the last six months. But she didn't cry often.

"Nothing," Korra whispered as more tears came.

Tonraq sighed. He stood from the bed and left the room. He found Senna in the kitchen. She was going through a bag of healing supplies.

"Tonraq, what's wrong?" Senna asked. She pulled something out of the bag before turning to face him.

"It's Korra," he began.

"Did she ask you to leave?" his wife asked. Her frown was a sympathetic one.

Tonraq shook his head.

"She's crying, Senna. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but she's pretty upset."

Senna sighed.

"She might be in more pain than she's letting on. I'm gonna give her a mild sedative and stay with her for the night."

"Let her know I love her," Tonraq said as he turned to tell Mako and Bolin what was going on.

"I will," Senna promised. She reached out and pulled her husband in for a hug. Kissing his lips, she held him for a minute, knowing he needed the contact. Pulling away a minute later, she picked up the bag and headed back to Korra's room.

Tonraq entered the living room to find Mako still pacing while Bolin fed his fire ferret some sea prunes.

"Is Korra okay?" Mako asked the minute he spotted the water tribe chief.

"She will be," Tonraq replied. "Her mother's giving her some medicine for the pain and a sedative. She's gonna stay with her for the night."

"Korra needs a sedative?" Mako frowned. This had to be bad if Korra was asking to be put out.

"Senna just wants her to get a good night's sleep," Tonraq explained.

"Can I see Korra?" Mako asked.

"Let me go ask Senna," Tonraq turned and left in the direction of Korra's room.

****

Meanwhile, Senna had just entered Korra's room. Her heart broke when she saw the state her daughter was in. Tonraq had been right. Korra was crying. Her body shook with sobs, making Senna fight back her own tears.

"Korra?" Senna put a hand on her shoulder. She ran it through her hair before stroking her cheek a few times. "Little one, I'm gonna give you half of a pain shot," she explained.

"Mom, why can't I have the whole thing?" Korra tearfully whispered.

Senna sighed.

"Honey, half a dose is all you need. I'm also gonna give you a sedative to help you sleep."

"Mom, please, just give me the whole thing," Korra pleaded.

Senna was worried now. Korra was begging for more medication than she needed, which was a sure sign something else was bothering her. Senna had no doubt her daughter was in physical pain, but she also had the feeling she was trying to avoid some emotional scars as well.

"Korra, I can't do that. I'm gonna give you half and the sedative. Then I'm gonna stay with you," Senna reiterated.

"Fine," Korra mumbled as a few more tears fell.

Sighing, Senna gave Korra the pain medication. She waited a few minutes before administering the sedative. While she waited, she rubbed Korra's right shoulder and combed her fingers through her hair to soothe her. She glanced up when someone entered the room.

"Mako really wants to see Korra," Tonraq informed both of his girls.

"Are you up for it, sweetheart?" Senna asked.

"Whatever," Korra replied.

"Korra…" Senna warned. "I'm gonna give you the sedative now," with that, she did so. Once she put the supplies back in the bag, she kissed Korra's cheek and stood. "Do you want to see Mako tonight?"

"Yeah," Korra replied. She fought to keep her eyes open as the sedative started taking affect.

"Don't fight it, little one," Senna gently advised, "I'll go get Mako," with that, she was gone.

Tonraq watched Korra continue to fight the sedative for a minute before going over to her side. Reaching out, he took her hand in his. He felt her try to pull away, but she couldn't due to the sedative.

"Princess, it's okay," Tonraq assured her, "we'll talk tomorrow. I love you. Sweet dreams," with that, he kept a gentle, but firm grip on her hand until movement in the doorway caught his attention. Beckoning Mako forward, Tonraq stood to leave.

"Dad?" Korra mumbled.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetie," Tonraq assured her, "I'm still here. What's wrong?"

"You…shouldn't…have kept…me…locked up in the…" her voice trailed off as she fought to stay awake.

Tonraq shushed her while trying to keep her calm at the same time.

"Shh, try to sleep, Korra, it's okay," he soothed.

Just then, Korra's cyan eyes opened and she tried to sit up.

"Korra, no," Tonraq quickly, but gently pushed her back down.

"Dad, I…I need. Mom…something's wr…wrong…I feel…stomach…I'm gonna…" she suddenly swallowed hard before heaving. She felt her Dad's strong arm around her, steadying her as she lost the contents of her stomach on the floor. She could feel something being slipped underneath of her chin as she heaved again, bringing up everything she had eaten at the festival that night. Trying to catch her breath, she started dry heaving. As she was trying to settle her stomach, her mother entered the room. Korra guessed Mako had gone to get her.

Senna frowned when she saw what was happening. She rested a hand on Korra's shoulder to help steady her.

"Little one, come here," Senna gently pulled Korra towards her once her daughter was done throwing up. She held her for a few minutes to help her stomach calm down. Pressing a cup of water to the teenager's lips, Senna coaxed her to take small sips. "That's my girl, you're okay," she soothed. Helping Korra to lay back down, Senna patted her shoulder before turning to Tonraq for answers.

Her husband explained what had happened while Senna tried to keep Korra calm and quiet.

Glancing up from keeping an eye on her daughter, Senna saw Mako standing in the doorway. He had some towels in his hands.

"Thanks, honey," Senna smiled gratefully at the teenage boy. She gently laid Korra back down, kissed her cheek and stood. Taking the towels from the firebender, she started cleaning up the mess on the floor. Once that was done, she left and returned with an empty basin. Setting it down on the table, she turned her attention to Korra. "Korra, sweetheart, your Dad and I are gonna go talk in the kitchen so that you and Mako can have some time alone. You need to try and sleep. Don't fight the sedative. I love you, little one," With that, she turned to Mako. "If Korra starts feeling sick again, there's a basin on the table. Call me if she needs me," she instructed.

"Okay," Mako walked over to the bed and sat down beside the love of his life. He reached out and was surprised when Korra grabbed his hand in hers. Her grip was slightly less strong because of the medicine in her, but she still held fast. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Korra said quietly. "So it was a pretty exciting ending to the glacier spirits festival, huh?"

"You can say that again," Mako agreed. He started stroking her hair with his other hand. "Don't ever scare me like that again. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he frowned while gazing at the wall.

"You did…your best," Korra assured him as she felt herself becoming tired. "That's…what ma…matters. I love you."

"I love you too," Mako replied. "Just try to sleep." With that, he stayed with his girlfriend until she was out. He didn't move from his spot until Senna returned twenty-minutes later.

"Is she asleep?" she whispered, so that she wouldn't disturb her daughter.

"Yeah," Mako replied, indicating Korra. "She finally got there."

"I'm glad. She's been through so much," Senna frowned as she fought back tears. "I wanted to thank you for looking out for her while she was in republic city. My husband and I are both grateful to you and your brother for what you did for Korra."

"You're welcome," Mako blushed, "we really care about her. She's a special girl. I love her."

"I know you do," Senna smiled at him. She went over to the bed and sat down on Korra's right side. Gently, she pulled Korra into her lap. Korra started, but she didn't awaken. "Shh, it's okay, little one. You're safe. Mom has you. You're all right," Senna ran a hand through Korra's hair, which helped the teenager calm down a minute later. Glancing up at Mako, she saw a frown cross his face. "Are you okay?"

"Ya-yeah," Mako replied. He cleared his throat before continuing to speak. "It's just that…you remind me of my Mom. She would do the same thing for Bolin and me after we would have a bad dream."

Senna frowned. Her heart went out to both boys. She had lost her mother at a young age, so she knew what they were going through.

"if you ever need to talk, I'm here," she offered.

Mako gazed into her cyan eyes, identical to Korra's and found his throat constricting. Swallowing the lump, he managed a soft "Thank you," before excusing himself on the pretense of getting ready for bed and checking on Bolin.

"Sweet dreams, Mako," Senna said as she watched him leave the room. Once he was gone, her gaze travelled to her daughter. "Sweet dreams, my little one. I love you," with that, Senna got as comfortable as she could and prepared herself for a long night…


	2. Chapter 2

Disc: I DO NOT own any of the characters from LOK. They belong to Brike. I do however own anyone you don't recognize, along with the idea for this story.

Enjoy!

A?N: Here's the next chapter! I'm glad everyone likes the story so far!

"Some Things Never Change"

Chapter 2

Korra's eyes opened much later that night. She tried to sit up, but was gently pushed back down by a gentle hand.

"Korra, it's okay. You're not alone, honey."

"Mom," Korra stated rather than asked. She still felt a little out of it due to the sedative from earlier. She turned her head in the direction her mother's voice was coming from. She sighed with relief when her mother's hand grasped hers.

"How do you feel?" Senna inquired.

"Tired," Korra said honestly. "A little nauseous still."

"That'll wear off," her mother assured her. She picked up a cup of water from the nightstand. "Do you want something to drink?"

Korra let her mother help her sit up a little. She took small sips from the cup before it got to be too much. She lay back down and closed her eyes. She just wanted to feel better. She soon felt her mother's hand comb through her hair.

"Thanks," Korra whispered.

"Korra, you don't have to thank me," her mother planted a kiss on her head. "You're my daughter. I love you. I would do anything for you. The same goes for your Dad."

Korra made a noise that Senna didn't miss.

"Little one, what's going on between you two? Why are you so angry with him?"

"He can't tell me what to do for the rest of my life," Korra said, "he needs to let me make my own decisions. That's why I left for Republic City in the first place."

"Korra, your father loves you," Senna tried to explain. "That's where his over protectiveness comes from, little one."

"I'm not a little girl anymore," Korra mumbled.

"You will always be our little girl," her mother smoothed a few strands of hair off of her face. "We got so little time with you. It broke my heart when we had to let you go live in the compound. Your Dad and I missed you so much. All we wanted was to protect and love you. Not because you were the Avatar, but because you were our child. Our beautiful Korra," she paused as she tried to fight back tears. "And we still feel that way. So, please don't be too hard on your father. He just loves you."

"Mom," Korra frowned. She hadn't meant to make her mother cry.

"I'm okay," Senna assured her. She wrapped an arm around the seventeen-year-old and hugged her close. She was careful to be slow with her movements so she didn't cause Korra's stomach to act up. She smiled as she felt Korra relax. She needed this time with her and she was grateful Korra understood and didn't try to pull away. "I love you so much little one."

"I love you too, Mom," Korra replied. As she tried to get comfortable, she felt a warm feeling go through her as she laid her head against her mother's right shoulder. It was true that she didn't need her parents as much now that she was older, but she still loved them just as much as she did when she was little. What's more, she found she appreciated what they WERE TRYING to DO FOR HER-ESPECIALLY HER MOTHER. As she relaxed even more, she smiled to herself. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep once again…

****

Korra bolted upright in the early hours of the morning, shaking and crying. As she felt the tears streaming down her face, she reached out subconsciously for something. For what exactly, she didn't know. It wasn't until a gentle pair of arms pulled her in for a hug, did she feel her body start to relax.

"Little one, shh, it's okay. I have you. You're safe."

Korra buried her face in her mother's shoulder, the remaining tears falling as she clung on for all she was worth. She felt like she was a little girl again and the white lotus had just told her and her parents that she would be leaving in a few short months. Korra had spent many nights in her parents' bed after that. It was her mother's arms she spent most nights in, crying and begging her not to let them take her away. Even though her mother couldn't stop the inevitable from happening, she was able to offer her comfort during those long, fearful nights. Just like she was doing for her now.

"Korra, it's okay. Was it a nightmare?" Senna asked.

"Uh-huh," Korra coughed as a few more tears came. She soon felt a cup of water being pressed to her lips.

"There you go," her mother encouraged as Korra took a few sips. She put the cup back down a few minutes later. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Korra shook her head.

"Okay, it's okay," her mother assured her.

Just then, someone else joined them.

"Senna?"

Korra stiffened when she heard her father's voice.

Senna glanced up at her husband while rubbing Korra's back in an effort to calm her.

"What's wrong with Korra?"

"She had a nightmare," Senna replied. "I think the sedative is wearing off too."

"I can take her if you're tired," Tonraq offered.

"I'm okay," Senna assured him. She adjusted herself before running a hand through their daughter's chestnut brown tresses.

"Did she tell you what it was about?" Tonraq took a seat next to Korra's bed. Reaching out, he placed a hand on Korra's shoulder.

Korra tried to shrug him off, but she wasn't very successful due to the remaining sedative in her system. She made a grunting noise of annoyance while snuggling further into her mother's hold.

Tonraq sighed, but kept his hand there to prove a point to his daughter.

Korra twisted in an effort to jerk away, but her mother held her fast.

"Little one, stop," Senna gently advised.

Despite her mother's tone, Korra could hear a firmness to it that she knew not to mess with.

"I'll be right back," Senna set Korra down upon her bed and stood.

"Mom, where are you going?" Korra asked.

"I wanna check on the boys," Senna replied. With that, she left the room.

Korra lay still, her back turned to her father. She stared purposely outside, choosing the full moon as her focal point. She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come so she could avoid a lecture.

"Korra?"

Korra stayed silent.

"Sweetie, I love you," Tonraq started. "I know you're upset with me. I'm sorry if I hurt you when I tried to protect you when you were little. That was the last thing I wanted to do. Your mother and I just wanted to keep you safe and close by."

"So you decided to lock me up?" Korra choked on the words as her eyes suddenly filled with angry tears.

Tonraq noticed Korra hadn't included Senna in her anger and he had a feeling he would be walking this road alone.

"We thought it was the best thing for you," he tried to explain.

"Don't give me that!" Korra shouted.

"Korra, please," Tonraq placed his right hand on his daughter's shoulder once again.

"No, I'm tired of listening!" Korra jerked away before turning to face her father. Her anger and hurt was evident by the glare on her face. She put her hand up to stop him from touching her again. "It's your turn to listen. Did you once ask me how I felt about the decision you made to keep me safe? Did you once sit down and talk to me about the compound? NO, you didn't! I tried to tell you a few times, but you wouldn't listen! Mom knew though. You know why? She listened to me. She might not have been able to do much to change things, but she listened. Do you wanna know why I ran away when I was eight and then again when I was eleven? I did it because I missed you two. I missed you two so much it physically hurt, Dad! The other reason I did it was because I was tired of being locked up. I was tired of everything…" Korra's voice trailed off as she turned away as more tears came. She buried her face in her hands as a sob escaped her lips.

Tonraq felt like his heart would break into a million pieces. He could hear the hurt and desperation in his daughter's voice and it felt like a knife was plunging into his soul with every word she spoke. He honestly thought he had done the right thing for her. But now he was having second thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he knew he had to try and make things right with her. He loved Korra more than anything and he wanted to help her feel better.

****

Meanwhile, Senna entered the living room where Mako and Bolin were sleeping. She smiled when she saw Bolin curled up on one side of the couch, a blanket pulled up to his chin. His fire ferret was snoring softly in the crook of his left arm. Going over, she adjusted the covers. She was about to do the same for Mako when the older of the two brothers woke up with a start. He bolted upright much like Korra had done a little while ago. He was breathing hard and Senna could see fear and sorrow on his face as well as in his eyes. Being careful to respect his space, she hurried over to him.

"Mako, it's okay, you're safe," she assured him.

"Mom?" Mako said. His voice was so hopeful, it nearly brought Senna to tears. She shook her head. She proceeded to correct him as gently as she could.

"No, honey. It's me, Senna."

"Se-Senna?" Mako stuttered as he swallowed back the tears threatening to fall at any minute.

"Yes, sweetie, it's okay," she assured him. She reached out and placed her hand on his right shoulder. "Like I Told you before, if you need to talk, I'm here. Korra says I'm a pretty good listener."

Mako nodded. He stared at the opposite wall as he tried to win the battle with his emotions. He hadn't had a nightmare about his parents' death in months. Whenever one did occur, he tried his best to keep it to himself. He didn't want to burden his younger brother. Besides, he had to be strong for Bo. That's what older brothers did for their younger siblings. As he gazed around, his eyes landed on Senna's concerned face, even though that's the last place he wanted to look. He saw the concern in her cyan depths. He jumped slightly as he realized the concern was for him this time, not Korra.

"I'm fine," he insisted. Even as he said it, he could feel his resolve cracking. He swallowed again in an effort to hold the tears back. He wasn't used to showing his emotions around people he barely knew. He had spent some time with Senna by way of Korra, but he didn't know the water tribe woman all that well. But as he locked gazes with her, he remembered the stories Korra had told him about how her mother used to comfort her whenever she would have nightmares or feel sick when she was younger. What's more, Mako remembered the tender way Senna had held Korra tonight. Her maternal love and compassion had seemed to light up the room when she was holding Korra. Mako had felt it and he had been standing a few feet away.

"It's okay," Senna assured him, "Korra's fine for now. She's with her Dad. I doubt she's happy about that, but she'll be okay. They need to work some things out."

Mako nodded as he blinked rapidly. He turned away as the first tear fell. He swiped at it, but he couldn't stop more of them from coming. Before he knew what he was doing, he was leaning forward. He soon felt Senna's arms around him, pulling him into her loving embrace. As hard as he tried to stop crying, the minute he felt Senna hug him, much like his own mother used to do, he broke down in her arms.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay. I'm right here," Senna soothed. As she sat there, hugging Mako, she had to work hard to fight her own tears back. She knew what he and Bolin were going through. She remembered crying in Katara's arms the same way days after her mother had died. There wasn't a day that had gone by when Senna didn't miss her. There were times when Korra was little whenever her sweet girl would reach a mile stone and Senna found herself thinking her mother would have been so proud of her granddaughter. There was no doubt in Senna's mind that her mother would have loved Korra just as much as she had loved her.

"I know what you're going through," Senna told Mako.

"You do?" Mako was looking at her desperately seeking validation that it was okay to feel the way he did.

Senna nodded.

"I lost my mother when I was twelve," she explained.

Mako frowned.

"I know it hurts," Senna spoke softly, hoping her words brought a sense of comfort to Mako's heart. "believe me, I know. It's okay to let go every once in a while. It's healthy even. I'm constantly telling Korra the same thing."

"It's my fault," Mako mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Senna asked. She waited patiently for Mako to answer. She was willing to give him the time he needed.

"I begged them to take a shortcut," he explained. "I wanted to explore a new part of town. If we hadn't taken it, maybe they would still…" his voice trailed off as he swallowed back a sob.

"Mako, listen to me. Your parents' death was not your fault. I used to blame myself for my mother's death. I Told myself if only I had gotten help sooner or if we had left before he had a chance to hurt her again. But Katara helped me realize that I wasn't to blame. In fact, I helped give her a little more time with me by getting Katara and Aang when I did. It took me a long time for Katara's words of truth to sink in," Senna explained.

"But I was the one that-" Mako started, but was stopped by Senna's gentle index finger coming to rest on his lips. She shook her head as she spoke.

"Mako, listen to me, please, it wasn't your fault. I promise you that. I don't think your parents blame you. They wouldn't want you to blame yourself, honey. I know I didn't know them, but they must have been wonderful people to raise such good kids as you and Bolin turned out to be."

Mako nodded in agreement. He pulled away from Senna's maternal embrace just as Tonraq joined them.


	3. Chapter 3

Disc: I DO NOT own any of the characters from LOK. They belong to Brike. I do however own anyone you don't recognize, along with the idea for this story.

Enjoy!

"Some Things Never Change"

Chapter 3

Tonraq frowned as he reached his wife and Mako.

Senna glanced up and raised her eyebrows when she saw the look on her husband's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Korra bent at me," his voice was so quiet that Senna barely caught it.

"What?" she gasped in surprise.

"I tried to help her and she bent at me. Then she told me to leave," Tonraq explained.

"I'm gonna go talk to her," Senna stood, giving Mako's shoulder a pat as she did so. She turned to face the teenage boy before leaving. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks," Mako lay back down and pulled a blanket around himself.

"You're welcome," Senna replied. She mouthed the word nightmare to Tonraq before leaving in the direction of Korra's room. Getting to the hallway, she turned back around to face Tonraq. 'How bad is she?"

"She won't talk and she was swallowing when I left. I tried to help her before she bent at me, but she just kept holding it back," he shook his head in frustration and sadness.

'Okay," with that, Senna was gone.

Mako turned a worried face to Tonraq.

"Is Korra gonna be okay?"

Tonraq shook his head.

"I hope so. Whenever she gets like this she'll only respond to Senna."

Mako nodded. He closed his eyes in an effort to get some more sleep. His last thoughts were of Korra. He prayed she would let her mother help her come back to them.

****

Senna stepped into her daughter's room and sighed when she saw the position Korra was in. Her daughter was facing the window, her gaze trained on the moon. Her shoulders were shaking, which meant she was crying. Sitting on the bed beside her, Senna reached out and placed a hand on her right shoulder.

"Korra? Honey, what's the matter?" she held her breath. She wasn't sure Korra would answer her, but she prayed she did.

"Sorry, " Korra whispered. "I didn't mean to…"

"Dad knows that," Senna tried to assure her, "Korra, why did you do it? What's gotten you so angry?"

Korra turned away from the window to face her mother. She made eye contact for a brief minute before her gaze travelled to the floor. She soon felt a gentle hand underneath of her chin. Soon she was locking eyes with her mother again.

"Sweetheart, look at me," Senna gently instructed. Once she had her daughter's full attention, she continued to speak. "What's wrong?"

"Sometimes I hate being the Avatar," Korra whispered.

"Korra…come here," Senna pulled the distraught seventeen-year-old into her arms much like she had done for Mako mere minutes ago.

"I hated being trapped there!" Korra cried, tears falling once again from her cyan eyes, "I hated not being heard!"

"Honey, I'm listening," Senna combed a hand through Korra's hair, "I hear you, little one."

"That's the problem," Korra sniffed back more tears as she found comfort in her mother's embrace, "you've always listened to me. But Dad never did! He thought he knew what was best for me, but he didn't!" she swallowed hard as she finished her sentence, making her mother frown in concern.

"Korra, are you feeling sick to your stomach?" Senna put the back of her hand to her daughter's forehead to check for a fever. She sighed with relief when Korra felt cool.

"Yeah, " Korra replied.

"Okay," Senna placed the basin underneath Korra's chin while she kept a firm, but loving arm around her shoulders.

Once Korra's stomach had calmed down, she collapsed in her mother's embrace, shaking. She let out a cry of pain, breaking her mother's heart.

"Korra, shh, I know, honey, I know. I have you," Senna soothed.

"Mom, I hurt!" Korra cried.

"What hurts? You need to tell me if I'm gonna help you," her mother explained.

"My stomach," Korra gritted her teeth as more pain came.

"Okay, let me see," with that, Senna gently laid Korra down and examined her abdominal area. When she got to the middle, Korra cried out and tried to push her hands away. "Sweetheart, I think it's hurting because you tried to avoid throwing up. Does it feel like a cramp?"

"Uh-huh," Korra breathed.

"I can try to take the pain away with waterbending," Senna offered.

"Mom, please," Korra whimpered.

"Okay, Korra, okay." Senna dipped her hands in a jug of water Korra kept on her nightstand and tried to soothe her daughter's physical pain. She sighed in relief when Korra relaxed. Glancing down, she noticed the teenage Avatar's eyes were closed. She pressed a soft kiss to Korra's forehead before covering her with a blanket.

"I love you, honey. Sweet dreams," with that, she stood and left the room. She entered the room she shared with Tonraq to find her husband waiting for her. He pulled her into a hug the minute she sat down next to him. Without him having to ask, Senna spoke.

"Korra's asleep. She threw up once and then she was in pain. I managed to soothe it with waterbending. She said she's sorry for bending at you. She's just really frustrated, Tonraq. She's upset about a lot of stuff. I suggest you two take a walk tomorrow and really talk. But above all, listen to her. That's what she needs more than anything from you right now."

"Okay,' tonraq planted a kiss on his wife's lips and she returned it. Getting comfortable, he pulled Senna into his arms and ran a hand through her hair. "I love you, Senna."

"I love you too," Senna whispered. "And so does she," she pointed towards the hallway and Korra's room.

"I hope so," Tonraq sighed.

"I know so," Senna said confidently.

"I hope you're right," Tonraq closed his eyes, craving sleep in the worst way.

"You know I am," Senna said softly as her eyes shut for the rest of the night.

*****

Korra awoke with a start the next morning. She sat up and glanced around. Hearing a familiar male voice address her from her left, she turned to find her father sitting next to her bed.

"Morning, princess. Are you feeling better?" he asked. He was sincerely worried about her and Korra could tell.

She nodded, although she could feel tears welling up behind her cyan eyes. She knew these tears were ones of guilt.

"Dad, I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Korra, I know you didn't mean to bend at me," Tonraq said wisely. "You were just frustrated. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard."

"I should never have used my bending in that way. You and Mom taught me better than that."

"You're right," her father agreed. "But we're all entitled to lose it every once in a while, hmmm?"

"Not that way," Korra sighed.

"Korra, I forgive you," Tonraq said, "I know you didn't mean it. I love you, princess," with that, he reached out and slowly pulled her into his arms.

Korra fought the urge to struggle. As she wrapped her arms around her father's neck, she suddenly felt her body relax. She still hurt, but she could feel some of her earlier frustration decreasing.

"I love you, Dad," Korra closed her eyes as she felt her father kiss her head.

"I love you too, sweetie. Your Mom and I love you so much. All we wanted ever since you were born was to keep you safe."

"I know," Korra sighed.

"Listen, how about we take a walk after breakfast?" Tonraq suggested.

"Did Mom suggest it first?" Korra asked. There was a teasing note to her tone that made Tonraq's heart soar.

"Yeah, but we need it. How about it?"

"I'll think about it," Korra replied. She pulled away from her father just as her mother joined them.

"Morning, sweetheart. Are you feeling better?" Senna gave Korra a hug before kissing her forehead on the pretense of checking her for a fever.

"A little bit. My left rib still hurts," she admitted.

"It should feel better in a couple days," her mother reassured her. "Are you up for some breakfast? We'll start out slowly."

Korra thought about it for a few minutes before nodding.

"I'm a little hungry," she confessed.

Senna smiled at this. She extended her hand towards Korra and her daughter took it. Once she was standing, Senna let go.

"Mako and Bolin are waiting for you in the dining room," Senna informed the teenager.

"They are?" Korra grinned at the prospect.

Senna nodded.

Korra got dressed in the bathroom across the hall from her bedroom. Once her hair was done, she headed for the dining room. She was immediately embraced by Mako. He planted a kiss on her lips, which the teenage Avatar returned. They pulled apart a few minutes later, only to have Bolin hug Korra enthusiastically.

"I'm gonna be okay," Korra assured her worried friend. She smiled as Pabu jumped onto her shoulder, squeaking the whole time. She petted his head before handing him back to Bolin.


End file.
